atkinson



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1..

1v1. B. ATKINSON. STREET SWEIPER.

110. 571,183. l ,l 156111111161 Nov. 1o, 1896. n

@if ne 3mm/vbo@ www/@001% Alum/,5./T/f//vo/v rvr Nonms PETERS co.worcnwmo. WASHINGTON. u. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sliema-sheet 2:.

M. B. ATKINSON.

STREET SWBEPBR.

10.571,183. PanentedN0v-1o, 1896.

Q y Q- m: uonms PETERS co, PNUmMYHo., WASHINGTON. n, c.

LN@ Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. B. ATKINSON.

STREET SWEEPER.

N0. 571,183. Patented N0'V.10, 1896.

6 m K 7 f M M me wams Evans w. moruumm msnmmon, u. c.

to a sweepings-receiver by suitable elevating UNITED STATESN PATENTOrrrcn.

MAI-ILON B. ATKINSON, OF VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFT\VOTHIRDS TO BERNARD J. OOYLE AND JOHN FITZMORRIS, y OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,183, dated November10, 1896.

Application led February 14, 1896. Serial No. 579,300. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLON B. ATKIN- SON, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved streetsweeping machine of that classin which the sweepings gathered by the brush are conveyed apparatus.

The invention will first be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of my improvedstreet-sweeping machine, a

portion of the elevator-casing being broken away and the dumpingposition of the receiver being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a planview of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the bed of the machine,showing the rollerbed thereon, the means for operating the latter, asectional view of one of the elevators in place, and the meanspermitting the adjustment of the latter. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view,partly in section, showing a portion of the sweepings-receiver, theelevator on each side thereof, and the chute for conveying the sweepingsfrom the elevator-buckets to the receiver. Fig. 5 is a verticalsectional view of the same, but one elevator and chute being shown. Fig.6 is a detail perspective View of the lower part of the elevator-casing,the latter being partially broken out to show the deiiector. Fig. 7 is adetail perspective view of the apron, showing the connecting-rodsattached thereto. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the brush. Fig. 9 is asectional view of the re.- ceiver, showing the means for permitting thedumping of the same.

Referring to the drawings, the base or bed A of the machine compriseslongitudinal side rails 1, suitably lconnected by cross-bars 2, the siderails near the front end being turned in at a right angle, thenprojected forward, thus leaving a recess on each side for the receptionofthe elevatingapparatus,hereinafter described. Located between therails 1 and resting normally on the cross-bars 2 is a rollerbed a,comprising rails 3 and rollers 4,mounted therein, as shown in Fig. 3.This roller-bed is pivotally connected at the rear end to the side rails1 by a rod 5. In the forward end of the side rails 1, with its endsjournaled therein, is mounted a rock-shaft 6, operated by alever 7,secured to one end thereof. On this shaft are secured cams 8, each oneof which lies directly beneath one of the rails 3 of roller-bed o..

B represents the sweepings-receiver, its forward end being narrowed toconform to the shape of bed A, leaving a recess 9 on each side. Thisreceiver rests on the rollers 4 of roller-bed a, and on operating lever7 the cams 8 will raise said roller-bed, when the receiver will sliderearward on rollers 4 until hooks 10, secured on the under side of thereceiver, engage the rod 5. The rear end of the receiver will then swingdownward into a position to dump its load, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. By means of an ordinary windlass 11, secured beneath a seat 12,rising from the forward end of bed A, and a rope 13 wound thereon andsecured at one end to the receiver B, the latter may be drawn back: toits normal position after dumping, a hook 14, pivoted to the uprightsupporting the seat, serving to lock the receiver in its normalposition, as shown in full lines inl Fig. 1.

. The bed A is suitably mounted on a' rearl axle 15, on which wheels 16are mounted, and on a front axle 17, carrying wheels 18.

' The elevating apparatus comprises two elevators C O, adapted tooperate one in each recess 9 of the receiver B, as shown in Fig. 2. A

casing c envelops each elevator, except on "the inner side, this casingon the outer side being cut away from near the upper beltwheels to thelower belt-wheels, as shown, leaving two box-like chutes in which theelevator-buckets work. From the bottom of the receiver downward thefront wall and rear wall of the casing extend entirely-across themachine, the latter being formed with a rear longitudinal opening 19,the upper front wall of each casing having a similar opening 20, asclearly shown in the drawings.

ICO

A shaft 21, extending from the outer wall of one casing to the outerwall of the other and mounted therein near the upper ends, and furthersupported by braces 22, secured to the seat 12, carries near each end apair of sprocket-wheels 23. A similar shaft 24 is revolubly mounted inthe lower part of the casing and carries similar wheels 25. Over thesewheels 23 and 25 pass the elevatorbelts 26, on which, at suitableintervals, are secured the elevator-buckets 27. A belt 23, passing overa pulley 29, mounted on the outer end of shaft 21, and over anotherpulley 30, secured on one of the rear wheels 16, transmits movement tothe elevators when the machine is in motion.

D D represent what I term sweepingchutes, two in number, each comprisinga rearwardly-curved metal strip 31, secured to the seat 12 and risingforward of the front wall of each casing c past the opening 2O therein.To this strip is secured a transverse guide d, its upper end lyingbeyond the outer edge of opening 20, the guide then curving downwardtoward the receiver B, its inner end terminating just above and slightlywithin the edge of the latter, as shown in Fig. 4. By this constructionthe sweepings, when projected from the buckets 27 through the openings20, will be thrown against the strip 31 and drop onto the guide d., downwhich they will slide into the receiver B.

E represents the brush, whose shaft is revolubly mounted in stays 32,projected forward from the rear axle 15. The bristles on the brush areformed in a series of rows e, beginning at the center of the brush andextending laterally and rearwardly at an acute angle to the endsthereof. By this construction the sweepings are gathered and brushedtoward the center ofthe machine, as will be evident. Proper motion. istransmitted to the brush by a cross-belt 33, which passes over a pulley34 on the brush-shaft and over a grooved wheel 35, secured on one of therear wheels 16, the wheel 35 being larger than the pulley 34, wherebyproper speed of revolution is attained by the brush when the machine isproceeding at a normal speed.

A shaft 36, revolubly mounted in the side rails 1 of bed A, has securedto one end thereof a bell-crank lever 37, the long arm of which projectsforward in reach of the occupant of seat 12, any desired position ofthis lever being maintained by a notched bar 3S, with which the leverengages in any ordinary manner. The short arm 39 of the lever hassecured to its outer end a depending rod 40, the lower end of which isloosely secured to the brush-shaft. By this means the verticaladjustment of the brush is readily accomplished, it being understoodthat the short arm 39 of the lever and the depending rod 40 areduplicated on the other end of shaft 36.

F represents the apron, preferably of metal and curved to conform to thecurvature of the brush. To the apron, at each end, are

pivotally secured two rods 41, each pair of these rods being alsopivoted to the outer wall of each casing c, the normal position of therods being on a slight upward incline toward the rear, as shown inFig. 1. The upper edge of the apron is turned forward, forming a lip 42,which rests normally on the lower edge of opening 19 in casing c. Twochains 43 are secured to the apron near each respective end thereof, andalso to the arms 39 on shaft 36, near the pivotal point of the latter,to permit the adjustment of the apron and to also permit the automaticupward movement of the latter when passing over an obstruction, such asa brick or the like, the upward movement, owing to the inclined positionof rods 41, being away from the brush, thus allowing the apron to passover the obstruction, at the same time receding from the brush, so asnot to interfere with the revolution of the latter, and then drop bygravity to its normal position, when the brush will force theobstruction onto the apron and through the opening 19.

As the brush is peculiarly adapted for gathering sweepings toward thecenter, and as the elevators are located one on either side of thevcenter, some means must be provided for causing the sweepin gs thusgathered to be thrown into the path of each respective elevator. Forthis purpose l employ a deiiector G, which is simply aninverted-V-shaped strip of metal secured in the lower end of casing cand extending across the same from the front to the rear wall. The apexg of this defiector is on aline with the lower edge of opening 19 in thecasing, and its ends extend to the inner edge of the respective paths ofthe elevator-buckets. By this means sweepings gathered by the brush,after being forced up the apron and through the opening 19, will fallonto the defiector G and slide down its inclined sides into therespective paths of the elevator-buckets, the front wall of the casing cbelow the receiver, which, as before stated, extends entirely across themachine, preventing any of the sweepings being thrown over thedeflector.

As the brush will in time wear to such an extent as to cause its actionto be materially lessened in forcing sweepings into the opening 19 ofcasing c, some means must be provided by which the most efficientposition of the elevating apparatus C C relative to the brush may bemaintained. For this purpose I secure a baton 44 across the inner edgeof each casing c, in which baton is a longitudinal slot 45, the batonbeing in a plane parallel with the side rail 1 of bed A. In. the siderail is secured a screw-threaded bolt 46,which projects through the slot45 and is secured by a nut 47, on loosening which the lower portion ofthe elevating apparatus can be moved toward or away from the brush, asdesired, the central open portion of the front wall of each casing c,hereinbefore described, permitting access to the adjusting means.

It will be seen from the drawings that the elevator-buckets travel in adirection oppo- IOO site to the revolution of the brush, by whichconstruction the danger of choking the elevating apparatus will beavoided, as the elevator-buckets meet the incoming sweepings instead ofpicking them up from a receptacle.

Although I have shown the bottom of the receiver as being horizontal itis evident that a rearwardly and downwardly inclined bottom may be used,by'the use of which latter the sweepings would gather toward the rear ofthe receiver.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a street-sweeping machine, the combin ation,with a suitableframe,of a brush revolubly secured to the frame and adapted to directthe sweepings toward the center, a delector having a downwardinclination from the center toward each end and adapted to receive thesweepings from the brush,a sweepings-receiver mounted above the brush,and two elevators, one on either side of the receiver, adaptedrespectively to take the sweepings from the ends of the deflector anddeposit them in the receiver.

2. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination,with a suitableframe,of a brush revolubly secured to the frame and adapted to directthe sweepings toward the center, a dei'lector having a downwardinclination from the center toward each end and adapted to each elevatorpermitting its independent lateral adjustment relative to the brush.

3. In a street-sweeping machine, the combination, with a suitable frame,a brush revolubly secured to the frame and adapted to direct thesweepings toward the center, a deiiector having a downward inclinationfrom the center toward each end, a sWeepings-receiver mounted above` thebrush, and two elevators, one on either side of the receiver, forconveying the sweepings from the ends ofthe delector to the receiver, ofan apron pivotally mounted in front of the brush and adapted toautomatically rise to allow it to pass an obstruction and then drop bygravity to its normal position, said apron being so mounted that inrising to pass an obstruction it will recede from the brush to avoidinterference with the revolution of the latter.

VIn testimony whereof I affix my signature.

Witnesses:

. DAVID W. GoULD,

'.Ios. I-I. BLAoKwooD.

